Solar Cooking
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==See also==
 
==See also==
[[One Earth Designs]]
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*[[One Earth Designs]]
[[Catlin Powers]]
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*[[Catlin Powers]]
[[Scot Frank]]
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*[[Scot Frank]]
   
 
==External links==
 
==External links==

Revision as of 14:29, 15 September 2010

SolSource 3-in-1 in China 4-24-10

SolSource 3-in-1 in use with Himalayan community members.

The SolSource 3-in-1 is a combination solar cooker, heater, and electricity generator developed by One Earth Designs (OED), a nonprofit organization with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and Xining and Hong Kong, China.

The device not only enables rural communities to harness the sun’s energy for portable solar cooking, but for space heating and electricity generation as well. High-temperature parabolic solar cookers are currently available and used in Himalayan communities, however, they are often made out of mirror-lined concrete shells that are extremely heavy, fragile, and do not stand up to the harsh weather and climate of western China. Many nomadic villagers shared with OED a desire for parabolic solar cookers that are portable enough to be taken into the fields while working or tending livestock, but sturdy enough to withstand the harsh winds of the Tibetan Plateau. Along with student teams from Wellesley College, Harvard, MIT, and Qinghai Normal University, OED worked with rural communities in the Himalayan region to design the SolSource 3-in-1 according to local needs and with local materials when feasible.

The reflective component of the SolSource 3-in-1 is a lightweight, foldable parabolic shell comprised of several triangular panels stretched across a curved frame and lined with aluminized polyester film (Mylar®). This shell is supported by a detachable tripod which can be staked to the ground to prevent the cooker from blowing over. Multiple functions are performed by attaching one of three interchangeable modules to the center of the shell at the focal area.

The first module cooks food and pasteurizes water. Its high focal temperature enables traditional cooking that relies primarily on stir-frying and boiling water for tea and tsampa. A second module collects and stores heat for later use in the home. As journalist Julia Levitt reports on WorldChanging.com , the SolSource 3-in-1 “generates enough heat at its focal point to bring a kettle of water to boil in about five to seven minutes. … While it is in use, the device generates heat to warm the home.” A third module generates and stores about 20 watts of thermo-electricity per hour.

See also

External links

OED Homepage
SolSource 3-in-1 PDF

Contact

Catlin Powers
Chief Operating Officer
catlin@oneearthdesigns.org
One Earth Designs